


17 Months and a Day

by katakuna_64



Category: Bleach
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Implied Relationships, POV Kuchiki Rukia, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22687423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katakuna_64/pseuds/katakuna_64
Summary: It's been 17 months and Rukia is finally reunited with a soul reaper Ichigo, once again. There are these feelings that come to surface that she just can't seem to shake, though. Rukia's thoughts and blank spots filled in between Bleach episodes 165-166
Relationships: Kuchiki Rukia/Kurosaki Ichigo
Kudos: 6





	17 Months and a Day

**Author's Note:**

> This fic starts at episode 165 of the Bleach anime, right after Rukia gets out of the dimension she fights Riruka in, and it's my way of kind of "filling in the blanks" of what happened during that time and adding my very own special Rukia/Ichigo spin on things. Hope y'all like it! If there's something that is really out of character, or flat out wrong, let me know so that I can fix it and make it better! Otherwise, enjoy! Part two should be done in a few days henceforth. Original post here --> https://katakuna64.tumblr.com/post/190797609670/ahhh-its-here-my-little-fill-in-the-blank

When I finally came to, I was outside. It took me a minute to recognize exactly where I was, but once I had, I knew that I was out of that virtual space, and in the world of the living once again, with Ichigo, a small voice called out softly in the back of my mind. I snapped back to reality with that, and realized that I was lying across someone’s lap. Someone strong, and someone with a soul reaper uniform. _Ichigo?_ No. This person was somewhat more filled out than Ichigo was. As soon as I started to stir, there he was, red and familiar.  
“Rukia?!” Renji asked, surprised and started.  
“Renji?” I asked a little boardly, knowing how he’d react.

“Rukia! Are you alright?! Does it hurt anywhere?!” Renji asked, taking me by the shoulders and shaking me, panicked.  
“Yeah, right now, my shoulder hurts…” I replied, dazed and dizzy from his forceful shakes, momentarily forgetting why I was here in the first place, and then it came back to me, Ichigo. I Whirled my head around, only finding the captains I had come here with, _no Ichigo_.  
Everyone seemed to have escaped their rooms, except for Ichigo. I looked up to the sky then, to where I could feel his reiatsu, a warm and welcoming feeling. Like feeling the sun after so much rain. But I could only relish in the moment for a second before realizing that he was still inside of his battle arena with Ginjo, and he was not out yet, not safe by my side again.  
“Ichigo...is still inside?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer was.  
With all the captain’s backs towards me, they were silent, waiting. With this many captain-class soul reapers present, destroying that dimension should be easy….a sudden wave of realization washed over me, I get it... _they’re waiting to see his decision_.

At that moment, the black box floating in the sky where Ichigo and Ginjo were fighting was suddenly cracked and struck down by an immense stoke of power. Ichigo, that was his power, _I could feel it._  
“What? What’s going on?! Impossible..! It’s collapsing...” I heard the boy fullbringer who captain Hitsugaya froze, the one who created these dimensions. His voice was wracked with panic and surprise, like he never thought something like this could ever happen to one of his dimensions. And then, just like that, the walls of this boy’s creation came crashing down, crushed through and destroyed by the great explosion of power that was unmistakably Ichigo’s. And then he was there, like a hero out of some movie, clad in his undtraditional, but totally unique Shihakusho and clutching his bankai, both of which looked slightly different from what I remembered them looking like. That could have been a result of combining his newly acquired fullbringer powers with his soul reaper ones. His bankai was longer, a bit curved now and teethed, while his new Shihakusho had crossings all over, but with the same very ripped and tattered look. It brought some ease to my heart, seeing him still look so similar, while also looking different at the same time. _He still feels the same, though._  
“Shut the hell up?” I heard Ginjo say, with a cocky, terrifying look on his face I so badly wanted to wipe off. “Shut up about what? Do I annoy you so much that you’d do Bankai to kill me at once and shut me up? What would that do? Would that hide your eyes away from reality once more” he taunted, I didn’t like where this was headed.  
“Shut up” I heard Ichigo say, calmly, albeit a little annoyed.  
His evil grin he wore only widened, brimming now with loathing and smug air.  
“That one was for you. But what I said earlier wasn’t...it was towards Ishida” Ichigo stated simply.  
And just like that, he was back to the Ichigo I knew. He was not despairing, or groveling on the floor, or a fool who had lost his hope. He was confident, and explaining to Ginjo why he chose to trust in Soul Society.  
“I chose the path of protecting others” Ichigo stated, simply, but with the weight of the world behind it. He was standing there now, sure and confident in his words and concrete crede, _with his mother’s heart behind it all_. “I wanted power” _and I was happy I gave it to you_. “I wanted power to protect people, all the time” _and I’m glad you were able to come into your own and save the ones you cared about with that power; saved me with that power_. “When I lost my powers” _it wouldn’t stop raining_. “I remembered that feeling” _you felt helpless, you wanted to protect everyone, but you couldn’t. You were made for that_. “Rukia gave me the power I sought to protect people” _and I’d do it all again, with my life on the line._ “Everyone helped me gain the powers that I had lost” _because we believe in you, Ichigo._ “And that’s why I will protect everyone and fight you”.  
With the last of Ichigo’s words, my heart had leaped and soared. I realized how much more mature he had become. I was proud of him at this moment, so proud that it was boundless. And even when Ginjo increased his spiritual pressure with his own bankai, Ichigo’s soul did not falter, waver or balk. As always, he stood his ground and protected what was precious to him. _I missed him more than I ever thought I would._

Just then, all of the captains I came with began walking back. “Brother, where are you going?”  
“We’re returning to Soul Society” Byakuya replied.  
“Huh?” I was confused, _weren’t we all supposed to stay by Ichigo’s side?_  
“Have you forgotten, rukia?” Byakuya asked as he shifted towards me “we came to see the choice Ichigo Kurosaki makes”  
And then I suddenly remembered the underlying reason why we were all here. Captain Hitsugaya was the next to speak up.  
“The Soul Society was aware that once the next substitute soul reaper appeared, Ginjo would set his sights on him sooner or later. When that happened, we would use that substitute to find Ginjo and before eliminating them at an appropriate time. But our contact with the Substitute changed the Soul Society. We shared our powers with the Substitute we were supposed to kill and dispatched captains to watch his actions rather than kill him. Kuchiki, remember when you objected the orders of keeping watch of Kurosaki Ichigo? You were right. Kurosaki Ichigo learned the truth and made his choice. That choice was the very same choice that the Kurosaki Ichigo we knew- the Kurosaki you believed in- made. I’m glad that the Substitute Soul Reaper after Ginjo was a man like him.”  
 _A man like him_. I was in awe. I was relieved beyond doubt. I was proud, so damn proud. That’s right, _he hasn’t changed since the beginning_. The one man’s unchanging will is what saved Soul Society’s millions of years of ridgidity. _Ichigo!_

And just as Ichigo promised, it was over, and he had come out of the other side victorious, and able to once again protect the ones he loves. _Love_. Another emotion was welling up inside of me, begging to break free, something similar to the feeling I got when we went ice skating together. But it was too late to contemplate it any further when another spiritual pressure came crashing through with a killing intent, as if lunging out of hiding to find its prey, _and it was coming straight for Ichigo!_  
I turned to him as quick as I could, but my reaction alone was not good enough. As if responding to something deep inside of myself, the fullbringer who had hidden herself within me, as if I were a mod soul, had resurfaced once again and acted, using my body as a shield to the oncoming threat, _Ichigo, let me protect you this time_. _I am thankful to you, full bringer_. It was right as the sword was coming down that I felt her leave my body. _No! What are you doing?! You fool!_ I tried to yell out, but I couldn’t utter even a single word. I collapsed into strong, secure arms, _Ichigo?_ It felt good to be in his arms again. It felt secure, and warm, despite the situation at hand. I felt like this was where I was supposed to be, _Ichigo_. From there, I blacked out.

When I finally came to again, I was in Ichigo’s arms, knowing it was him before I even opened my eyes. Warm, strong, secure, his reiatsu washed over me like a blanket. _Ichigo’s here, with me._ When I finally did manage to open my eyes, they met deep, smoldering brown ones, sharp edges rounded with concern and relief, _Ichigo._  
“Yo” he said simply, but softly, mimicking the time he saved me from my certain death back in Soul Society, with a warm smile just for me. Something in his look suggested “I am back.”

I relaxed in his arms, and replied his smile with my own warm, welcoming one, “Ichigo” I breathed, and it was like taking a breath for the first time in 17 months. Unconsciously, my hand gently went to his cheek, as if to reassure myself that he was actually there. To my surprise, he replied by placing his own hand over mine, and closed his eyes, basking in the moment. It was warm.  
“I’m back” he said quietly, but surely, and I could hear the underlying message that sounded more like “I’m home”.  
We sat there for a few moments, just listening to one another’s heart beats. It was something so strange, but yet so familiar. The feeling from before came welling up again, unbidden, but in a wave that came crashing over myself, _love. Do I...love Ichigo..?_  
Before I even had another moment to ponder the question any further, he broke the silence, “I like the hair” he stated playfully, as if he had seen me just yesterday. He was back to normal Ichigo, but still soft toned.  
“I like yours too, it grew out a bit” I replied, reaching out to touch his hair, another unconscious move. That came as a bit of a shock to him, but he recovered quickly, blushed slightly and rustled his hand through his orange locks.  
“Yeah, I suppose I did. I didn’t mean for it to get long again, but it just kind of went unnoticed” he said a little shyly, trying not to make eye contact with me. I couldn’t help but think it was a cute gesture, and giggled a little. _love._ There it was again. That feeling was back.  
He was looking back at me now, eyes squinted and suspicious, “hey, why are you laughing at me?!”  
I allowed myself to giggle a little more, and then squinted my own eyes at him mockingly, “seems like you’re a little embarrassed over a haircut, idiooot”  
He was ready to retaliate with full force, but then he stopped in in tracks, looked down and sighed, as if to breathe out all of his irritation, and then returned his gaze back to mine, eyes soft again.  
“I’m glad you’re back….Rukia. Thank you, for saving me once again. For giving me back my powers. I was drowning, and you cleared my rain with your sun” he stated, his words gentle and warm and genuine. When he looked at me and said those words, my heart couldn’t help but race in my chest, and just like that, the feeling was back. It was like the day we went ice skating all over again, that feeling resurfaced. _No, you saved me._ And before I knew it, words were tumbling out of my mouth.  
“I’m glad to be back here again, with you, Ichigo. I didn’t think we would ever get to meet like this again. Not for a very long time, at least. I’m glad it was sooner rather than later” I looked up, and it was like I was looking up at the sun itself, this boy, no, man, in front of my very eyes was larger and brighter than life itself, and he was right here in front of me once again, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  
His smile widened in response, a little goofy and a little bit of a boyish of a smile, but happy and relieved as well. _Ichigo_. “It’s good to be back”. He got up a moment later, and offered me his hand. I took it gladly, his touch sending a shock through my entire body and my heart sped once again. When he went to pull me back up, my body was still adjusting to being back in control, so I lost my balance and crashed back into him. He caught me and held me securely and gently, like he had been this whole time.  
“Hey, be careful” he told me, looking down at me with gentle eyes, voice full of concern.  
I folded into him and looked down, not wanting to make eye contact, heart soaring “got it, sorry…” I said shyly.  
“Hey, break it up already you guys! I know you haven’t seen Kurosaki in a long time, but I haven’t seen him in a while either. Save some Ichigo for the rest of us and stop hogging the guy all to yourself, Rukia! You can save your lovers reunion for after!!” a familiar voice called out, desperate for our attention and bringing us both back to reality. Lovers. We both tensed up and separated at the word.  
“We are NOT lovers!” we yelled at the same time, throwing the words back to Renji, defensive. And just like that, Ichigo was back to acting like his normal, tough guy self, and flew at Renji, “oh, I missed you too Renji, come here!” Ichigo yelled playfully at Renji, an evil grin spreading wide across his face and proceeded to wrestle him down. I sighed, annoyed again. “Looks like Ichigo’s back” I closed my eyes and opened them again, focusing on the man I missed so much. _Ichigo’s back._


End file.
